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Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), developed by Fishbein and Ajzen, explains why individuals perform voluntary behaviors. The core proposition is that a person's behavioral intention — their stated readiness to carry out an action — is the strongest single predictor of whether that action actually occurs. Two antecedents jointly determine intention:
- Attitude toward the behavior: the individual's overall positive or negative evaluation of performing the action. Attitude is formed through behavioral beliefs — the perceived likelihood that the behavior leads to each outcome, weighted by how desirable that outcome is.
- Subjective norm: the perceived social pressure from important referents (supervisors, colleagues, friends, family) to perform or avoid the behavior. Subjective norm is formed through normative beliefs — what those referents are thought to expect.
The theory assumes complete voluntariness: if real-world constraints such as missing skills, limited resources, or organizational rules prevent the individual from acting on their intention, TRA cannot accurately predict behavior. This limitation motivated Ajzen's later extension to the Theory of Planned Behavior.